Must read books for the fall, winter

It's that time of year again! The weather is getting colder, and everyone is busting out the sweaters and boots. This is the perfect time to pick up a book and lose yourself in a new story. Why not read some of the popular hits to fill you in on what your friends are talking about?

"The Casual Vacancy" by J.K. Rowling "The Casual Vacancy" is the first book from J.K. Rowling since the "Harry Potter" series and is specifically marketed to adults. In the small town of Pagford, not everything is what it seems. While seemingly the perfect little English town, everyone is actually at war with each other. The rich are at war with the poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, etc. When Barry Fairbrother dies unexpectedly in his 40s, his town council seat becomes a catalyst for the biggest war the town has seen yet. The book is described as blackly comic and thought provoking, which is perfect for the now grown audience of "Harry Potter." People magazine describes the novel as, "A vivid read with great, memorable characters and a truly emotional payoff.""Divergent" by Veronica Roth Hot on the heels of "The Hunger Games" craze comes the "Divergent" series. In a dystopian world, society is divided into five factions dedicated to a certain value: Candor (the honest), Abegnation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful) and Erudite (the intelligent). Once a year, all 16-year-olds must choose which faction to join for the rest of their lives. The story focuses on Beatrice Prior, who surprises herself and her Abegnation family by joining the Dauntless. Her choice exposes her to the harsh initiation of the group and threatens to expose a personal secret that could put her in serious danger. Multiple reviews compliment the narrative voice and consider the series even better than "The Hunger Games." If you enjoy sci-fi dystopian thrillers, this is a new trilogy for you!

"No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama bin Laden" by Mark Owen and Kevin Maurer "No Easy Day" is the first and only novel that describes the planning and execution of the bin Laden raid from Seal Team 6, the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group. Aside from describing the events leading up to the raid, Owen takes readers onto the field of the soldiers fighting the War on Terror and details the selection and training process for one of the most elite units in the military. The Los Angeles Times remarks, "Make no mistake: 'No Easy Day' is an important historic document. Think if we had a first-person account of the last minutes of Hitler in his bunker. 'No Easy Day' is brisk and compelling in its telling of the training, execution and immediate aftermath of the bin Laden mission by the elite Seal Team 6."

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